Matt Naylor | Monthly Newsletter | July 23
The 151st Open returns to Royal Liverpool for the 13th time, it surely is simmering to be a great week. Rory returns to where he won his last major in 2014 and I’m sure I speak on behalf on the majority of the golfing world that it would be great to see him break the major drought. Will we see Tommy Fleetwood take the claret jug? Rich in form and a home advantage in his pocket! The weather in the UK has experienced a real dry spell, so expect to see a Tiger like performance where the 2 iron plays its dominance from the tee.
July also brings the 78th US Women's Open, and this year the ladies head to another famous beautiful links course at Pebble Beach as Minjee Lee looks to defend her title. Two fantastic venues for major season this month, add them both to your bucket list. Highly recommended!
I’ve played quite a bit of golf this month with clients and a few Pro-Ams. My switch to Steelfiber shafts has really helped my left wrist which is great. This is my favourite time of the Golfing year. The Open is the best event by far in my book, and I can’t wait to go this year, it’s the first time in a while I’ve been.
Bobby Jones Grand Slam Dreams at Hoylake
He remains the only player to have won the Open and Amateur Championships of Britain and America in the same year. He was 28 years old and promptly retired from competitive golf except for later playing in his own tournament at Augusta National. Jones set out to win all four majors that year but to do so he had to triumph at the British Amateur for the first time, which he achieved at St Andrews, scene of his second Open title in 1927.
At Hoylake he became the only amateur to win The Open three times and only the second player after John Ball in 1890 to win the Open and Amateur in the same year. Jones shared the lead after both the first two rounds with scores of 70 and 72 but a 74 in the third round dropped him one behind Archie Compston, who had a 68. But Compston slumped to an 82 in the final round and Jones returned a 75 to win by two strokes from Leo Diegel, who was third the previous year, and Macdonald Smith, one of the best players never to win a major.
Fred Robson was the leading home player in fourth place alongside another American, Horton Smith. Jones had settled himself on the back nine after suffering a seven at the eighth hole when he had taken five strokes from just short of the green. He called it the “most inexcusable hole I have ever played”. But at the 16th he played a delicate bunker shot inches from the hole to claim a vital four. Jones went on to win the US Open at Interlachen, when Macdonald Smith was runner-up again, and then the US Amateur at Merion to complete his crowning glory.
Post Round Reflection
We can often spend a lot of time preparing for a game of golf or competition but how well are we reflecting on the round after the event? This doesn’t mean going into the pro shop and breaking down your 18 holes with the pro…What could this look like?Try writing down your 3 best shots from the day. What was the flight like? The strike? How did you feel? What were you thinking prior to the shot? We often reflect on everything we do poorly but would benefit much more reflecting on some of things we did well and try learning more from thoseAfter doing this for a while you will start to pick up on cues that are recurring when you perform at your best, was it your routine which was better, or did you have much clearer intention going into the shot? Create your good shot diary and dive in there on a regular basis to reaffirm your strengths.
At the Academy
I’ve recently changed my coaching hours to the below. These can be booked online through the OneXp app or by checking the links in my profile.
- Monday NGC am Morpeth pm
- Tuesday Morpeth All Day
- Wednesday Morpeth Am NGC pm
- Thursday Morpeth
- Saturday Morpeth
Through the summer holidays I’ll be running a kids summer camp on a Thursday at Morpeth 11-2pm £30 per child. There will be limited places available. Please email to book on the below.
Mastering the Links
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With The Open around the corner, it would be fitting to take a look at how to tackle the links. In the UK the weather has been very dry for a change so expect to experience The Open in a true links format for 2023.
Bad chippers delight
If you struggle with your wedges around the green then you may come into your own on the links. The firm fast fairway enables you to putt from pretty much anywhere from the surrounding areas of the green. There may be a few close shaves if you are required to putt close to the bunker lip and utilise the contours to manoeuvre your ball closer to the hole like we saw Cam Smith execute so well on the 71st hole of the 150th Open Championship at St Andrew on his way to victory. As we know Cam Smith is one of the best chippers on tour and it goes to show the complexities and creativity required to get your ball close to the hole around the greens. The ground offers plenty of options that create great opportunity if you can see them.
Calibrating your yardages
When conditions become firmer, we need to be able to adapt with our yardages. Even when parkland courses become firmer, we can all become guilty of playing the ball in to stop to find it resting up against the surrounding rough of the back of the green. When you are taking a yardage, you need to be able to calculate the roll out from the carry and for the majority of golfers, landing it on the green will not be an option. The addition of the wind will also be very influential on predicting where to land the ball.
Is the wind always your friend?
Its fair to say the wind speed will be very influential on the days scoring whilst out playing the links. If you are playing with the wind, then you need to allow for much more run and be prepared for the downwind shot to be a much flatter flight. For the more advanced players, you may try to play against the wind to try land the ball softer with the approach play. Most elite level players will tend to use the cross wind to move their ball toward the target rather than trying to shape it back against it.
Strategy from the Tee
It’s not all about hitting bombs from the Tee when it comes to the links golf. Wispy heather and deep fairway bunkers will swallow up the stray drives so be mindful of your club selection and strategy from the tee. The majority of the of the fairway bunkers are an automatic play out sideways or advance 30 yards if you’re lucky.Links golf is different ...and its often far from computer A to B golf. To be successful you have to embrace the challenge, the poor lies, the bad bounces, the recognition that teeing off in the morning vs the afternoon can be a completely different looking golf course. The players that can adapt the quickest, control their trajectory, and take the rough with the smooth are those that have the best chance of conquering the links.
